A Testimony of Jesus Christ : 3.13

3.13 - Revelation 13

3.13.1 - Revelation 13:1

In the previous chapter, we saw a dragon with seven heads and ten horns who attempted to intercept the promised child and subsequently persecuted the woman who gave birth to the child. We saw numerous indicators which pointed to the Jewish context of that chapter and its events, with the woman finally receiving supernatural assistance to reach a place of protection prepared by God (Rev. 12:6 +, 14 +). Since the dragon could not destroy the woman, he became enraged and “went off to make war with the rest of her offspring” (see commentary on Revelation 12:17).¹

Now, the scene shifts to describe a beast who also has seven heads and ten horns, who is closely identified with the dragon. He and another beast institute a series of satanically-empowered deceptions which bring the whole world under the sway of the beast with seven heads and ten horns, and ultimately Satan. This is the rise of the Antichrist,² whose activities are key to The 70th Week of Daniel.

By now, the Restrainer has been taken out of the way resulting in the departure of the Church in the Rapture. Thus, believers today will not see the rise of the Beast and the events of this chapter, for they are to watch for the imminent return of Christ, not the rise of Antichrist. Even so, multitudes will come to faith during this period of intense persecution as the message of the various witnesses which God has specially equipped for the time of the end goes forth (Rev. 7:4-8 +; 11:3-12 +; 14:6 +).³

Prior to studying this chapter, we recommend the study of related topics: The Beast; Nero; and Beasts, Heads, and Horns.

I stood on the sand of the sea
The NU text has he stood, that is, the dragon of the previous chapter.

Some manuscripts read, “he stood,” the change being effected by the dropping of one letter nu from the end of the verb estathē. If the letter is properly dropped, it indicates that the dragon himself stood upon the sand of the sea. If the letter is added, it means that John stood upon the sand of the sea. . . inasmuch as it is more likely that a letter be dropped than a letter added to the text, some scholars continue to feel that the Authorized Version is correct that John stood upon the sand of the sea.⁴

Hengstenberg remarks, “One cannot decide on external grounds between the two [textual] readings.” Authorities are divided. But a careful study of the context shews [sic ] conclusively that it is the Seer, and not the dragon that “stood upon the sand of the sea.” The apocalyptic prophet always takes his place or stand as a point of observation in keeping with the subject at hand. Thus heaven (Rev. 4:1 +); the sand of the sea (Rev. 13:1 +); the wilderness (Rev. 17:1 +); and a high mountain (Rev. 21:10 +), are respective points of view from which he can contemplate the various panoramic visions as they pass before his gaze.⁵

If it is the dragon which stands on the sand, rather than John, then it would intimate his summons of the Beast portrayed next. “The dragon, cast out of Heaven after his final defeat at the hands of Michael and his forces, comes to the earth looking for an instrument through whom he can carry on his warfare against his hated Creator and God.”⁶ Whether it is John or the dragon, the dragon is clearly the malevolent power behind the rise of the Beast: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2Th. 2:4).

Although elsewhere sand denotes an innumerable company, “The sand of the sea does not mean the seashore in Scriptural language. The sand, always represents an innumerable company, as will be easily seen by a comparison of the passages from the time when God promised Abraham seed as the sand of the sea in multitude. The sea is clearly shown as a symbol of the restless nations of the earth. Further in this prophecy we will see that the ‘many waters’ are ‘peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues’ (Rev. 17:15 +).”⁷ Here, it merely describes the position of John on the shore from where he observed the beast’s rise from the water.

I saw a beast
John sees two beasts in this chapter. The first beast is closely identified with the dragon—having seven heads and ten horns. He is also the beast whose deadly wound was healed. Moreover, he is the object of worship and aided in this role by the second beast (Rev. 13:11 +). These characteristics identify the first beast as Antichrist, also called the Beast. The second beast which appears later is known as the False Prophet (Rev. 16:13 +; 19:20 +; 20:10 +). As we mention in our discussion of why Nero cannot be the Antichrist, the early church which lived much nearer to the time of Nero and the Apostle John, did not see Nero as the Beast. Irenaeus identifies the first of St John’s Wild Beasts with St Paul’s Man of Sin. See commentary on Revelation 13:4.

As we discuss in Beasts, Heads, and Horns, the symbolism of the revelation given to both Daniel and John concerning this time of the end often blurs the distinction between an individual and the government which he leads:

There can be no kingdom without a king, and no empire without an emperor; neither can there be a king in fact without a kingdom. We cannot consistently speak of imperial power and dominion apart from a personal head which represents and embodies that power.⁸

But it is very clear from what follows in Rev. 13 + that there is something more than the Empire here in view. In Rev. 13:3-8 + it is a person that is before us. We are satisfied that this same person is also described, symbolically, in the opening verses. As is frequently the case in the prophetic scriptures, the king and his kingdom are here inseparably united. Rev. 13:1 +, 2 + portrays both the Empire and its last Emperor.⁹

Is the beast out of the sea a man or an empire? The answer is both. (a) The beast is a man because his number is that of a man (Rev. 13:18 +). Also the use of the masculine pronoun αὐτόν [auton] (Rev. 13:8 +) to refer to the neuter θηρίον [thērion] (Rev. 13:1-2 +, 4 +) indicates that he is a human being. In addition, parallels between the beast and the Lamb indicate that he is a person: both have followers on whose foreheads are inscribed their names (Rev. 13:16-17 +; 14:1 +), both are conquerors (Rev. 5:5 +; 13:7 +), and both receive worship (Rev. 5:8 +; 13:4 +). (b) At the same time the beast is an empire over which the man reigns. This fact is demonstrated by the symbolism of the beasts of Daniel 7.¹⁰

See The Beast. See #16 - Beast.

rising up
Ἀναβαῖνον [Anabainon] , present tense participle, presently arising. John saw the beast as he was rising.

out of the sea
Daniel’s four beasts also were seen rising from the sea (Dan. 7:2-3). The Beast’s ascension from the sea speaks of the origin of his kingdom from the Gentile nations. “Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners [lit. strange children]” (Ps. 144:7). This beast shares characteristics of the first three of Daniel’s beasts (all Gentile kingdoms). See commentary on Revelation 13:2. Leviathan, the twisted serpent, representative of both Satan and the Beast, is in the sea (Isa. 27:1; Ps. 74:13).

The Beast is also said to ascend out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 11:7 +, 17:8 +). His ascent out of the bottomless pit speaks of his revival from the dead following his fatal wound. See Supernatural Origin?

This beast arises from the sea, but the second beast arises from the earth or land (Rev. 13:11 +). This has caused some to expect the second beast, the False Prophet, to be Jewish in origin. See commentary on Revelation 12:11.

These contrasting terms are indicative of the origin of the two beasts. The sea may symbolize the Gentiles (Rev. 17:15 +; cf. Dan. 7:2-3) and if this is the case here, the opposite term, the earth, symbolizes the Jews. There is precedence for the Gentile origin of Antichrist in the Old Testament allusions, and the Jewish identification may be strengthened if here “the earth” has technical sense of “the land” [of Israel] as it sometimes may in Revelation (Rev. 11:18 +; cf. Dan. 8:9).¹¹

The land/sea distinction between Gentiles and Jews is seen in the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price:

Christ’s inheritance is not only the Church which is the pearl of great price for which He sold all that He had, but it also includes Israel which is the treasure hidden in the field and which He purchased with His own blood and which He hid again.¹²

The treasure [Mtt. 13:45-46] represents the Jews, so it is natural that the pearl [Mtt. 13:45-46] would represent the Gentiles. Furthermore, the pearl comes from the sea, and the sea symbolizes the Gentile world (Dan. 7:2-3; Rev. 17:1 +, 17:15 +). Finally, the pearl comes from the oyster, which itself was unclean in the Law of Moses but made clean by the Law of Messiah.¹³

Some suggest that the sea indicates his rise from the abyss (Rev. 11:7 +; 17:8 +).¹⁴

seven heads
Like the dragon (Rev. 12:3 +), the Beast has seven heads. The heads represent seven world kingdoms which culminate in the Beast as the seventh which had “not yet come” in John’s day (Rev. 17:10 +). This is not a matter of conjecture for this same Beast with seven heads is ridden upon by the Harlot, the “mother of harlots and abominations of the earth” (Rev. 17:3 +). We are told that the seven heads are “seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are seven kings” (Rev. 17:9-10 +).¹⁵ One of the heads of the Beast receives a deadly wound which is healed (Rev. 13:3 +). This revived head is considered as “the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition” (Rev. 17:11 +). The terminology describing the Beast indicates he is both a kingdom and its representative leader—the king.

In Daniel’s night vision, he sees four beasts which, when taken together, have seven heads:

That we have here in Rev. 13:1 +, 2 + a composite kingdom is clear from the ‘seven heads.’ Now note that in Dan. 7 the first, second and fourth kingdoms are not said to have more than one head, but the third has ‘four heads’ (Dan. 7:6). Thus the beasts of Dan. 7 have, three of them one head each, and the third four heads, or seven in all; which tallies perfectly with Rev. 13:1 +. . . . the four kingdoms of Dan. 7 are to be restored, and play their final parts immediately before the Millennium. If the reader will turn to Dan. 2, which is parallel with Dan. 7 - the ‘image in its four parts’ (the head, the breast and arms, the belly and thighs, the legs and feet) corresponding with the four beasts - it will be found that when we come to Dan. 2:45, which speaks of Christ (under the figure of ‘the Stone cut out of the mount without hands’ returning to earth to destroy the forces of evil, and then set up His kingdom, we discover that the Stone ‘brake in pieces the iron (Rome), the brass (Greece), the clay (apostate Israel), the silver (Medo-Persia), and the gold (Babylon).’ What we desire the reader to note particularly is that the Stone strikes not only the iron, but the brass, clay, silver, and gold; in fact, Dan. 2:35 tells us, expressly, they shall be ‘broken to pieces together!’ If, then, they are destroyed together, they must all be on the scene at the time of Christ’s return to earth to inaugurate His millennial reign, and if so, each of them must have been revived and restored!!¹⁶

Although it is true that the four beasts Daniel sees are represented in this beast with seven heads, it is unlikely that the seven heads on the beast correspond exactly with the seven heads of Daniel’s four beasts. For a discussion of the problems involved, see Daniel saw Seven Heads. See #4 - Seven Heads/Kings.

ten horns
Like the dragon (Rev. 12:3 +), the beast has ten horns. The ten horns are identified for us: “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they will receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.” (Rev. 17:12-13 +). These are the ten horns which Daniel saw upon the fourth terrible beast in his night vision (Dan. 7:7, 20) which are also said to be ten kings (Dan. 7:24). The Beast ridden by the Harlot also has ten horns (Rev. 17:3 +). “And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose” (Rev. 17:16 +-17:17 +a) Initially, the beast supports the Harlot and she rides upon, or controls, him. Eventually the ten kings who are allied with the Beast will turn on the Harlot, throw her off and destroy her. See #22 - Ten Horns/Kings. See The Great Harlot. See commentary on Revelation 17:16.

on his horns, ten crowns
Unlike the dragon which wears crowns on its heads (Rev. 12:3 +), the beast’s crowns are on its horns. The dragon’s crowns are associated with historical kingdoms of which this beast is one. The beast has crowns on each of his ten horns, indicating the rule of the ten contemporaneous kings associated with the last head or kingdom. These ten horns are the same as those of the last (terrible beast) of Daniel’s four beasts (Dan. 7:7). See #22 - Ten Horns/Kings. See Crowns.

a blasphemous name
Ὀνόμα βλασφημίας [Onoma blasphēmias] , a name blasphemous. The MT and NU texts have, ὀνόματα βλασφημίας [onomata blasphēmias] , names blasphemous. The blasphemous name or names are an indication of his character. Daniel described this individual who “shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done” (Dan. 11:36).¹⁷ He is also noted for his mouth speaking great things against God. See commentary on Revelation 13:5.

3.13.2 - Revelation 13:2

like a leopard . . . bear . . . lion
The characteristics of the first three beasts in Daniel’s night vision contribute to this beast of the end (Dan. 7:4-6).¹⁸ The fourth terrible beast seen by Daniel is not mentioned because this Beast is the embodiment of that terrible beast at the time of the end.

It is a composite of the four beasts of Daniel’s vision (Dan. 7) and must be related to them. Daniel wrote from the standpoint of the Jewish people, whose fate under the Gentile empires to come would effect the First Coming of Messiah. Revelation, written under the fourth and last of these empires, presumably after the Jewish commonwealth had been crushed, takes this picture of Gentile world power from Daniel and combines these four empires onto the picture of the future world-state. The magnificence of Babylon, the vastness of Medo-Persia, the dominating culture of Greek Macedonia, and the organizing might of Rome are united in one state that will aspire to world domination and that will achieve it.¹⁹

The order in which the attributes are listed, leopard then bear then lion, are reversed from what Daniel saw. This reflects John’s different vantage point. Daniel, living in the days of the lion beast (Babylon), looked forward in time to see the rise of the bear (Medo-Persia), and then the leopard (Greece). John, writing in the time of the first phase of the terrible beast (Rome), looked backward in time to see them in reverse order. See #8 - Four Beasts/Kings.

The mention of the leopard, bear, and lion in connection with the Beast arising from the sea is in concert with what Daniel was shown concerning the continuation of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece and their contribution to the final form of world government. “As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time” (Dan. 7:12). When the stone representing the Messianic kingdom strikes the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, all the metals of the image are demolished together: “the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together” (Dan. 2:35); “it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold” (Dan. 2:45). Thus, attributes of all the kingdoms are found in this last beast.

Many understand this final kingdom to be a “revived Rome.” This view is based on continuity expressed in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The ten toes of the image are on its feet which are partly of iron which symbolizes Rome:

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. (Dan. 2:41-44)

Adding to this identification is the fact that Daniel is only shown four beasts prior to the kingdom being given to the Son of Man (Dan. 7:11-14). In some sense, this last kingdom of the end must be a continuation of Rome.

The final world empire will be in some sense a revival of the Roman Empire (the iron legs and ten toes of the statue in Daniel 2), but will far exceed it both in power and extent. It will be much more than a European confederacy; it will cover the entire world.²⁰

It is also clear that all the previous kingdoms contribute to its characteristics. Bullinger notes that when John is told “one [kingdom] is” (Rev. 17:10 +), it is Rome which is in view—the next kingdom “has not yet come.” He wonders how Rome can be both.²¹ Yet the continuity between Rome of John’s day and the form of kingdom represented by the rise of the Beast is strongly inferred by the continuance of Daniel’s fourth beast until the time of the end, when it is predicted “to devour the whole earth” (Dan. 7:23). Moreover, in the famous prophecy of Daniel’s seventy weeks, Daniel was told that the “people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Dan. 9:26). This prophecy was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in A.D. 70 by Rome. Thus, the prince to come has a Roman origin. These passages argue for some form of continuity between Rome and the initial beast kingdom of the end. This should not be overemphasized since attributes of the other three beasts are also found in it.

As we progress in this chapter, we will see God sovereignly grant permission for this beastly empire to attain authority by way of empowerment from the dragon. Hosea was shown these beasts and how they would be used to tear Israel to cause her to turn back to God:

When they had pasture, they were filled; they were filled and their heart was exalted; therefore they forgot Me. So I will be to them like a lion; like a leopard by the road I will lurk; I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, and there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them. O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me. I will be your King; where is any other, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? I gave you a king in My anger, and took him away in My wrath. (Hos. 13:6-11) [emphasis added]

The lion, bear, leopard, and wild beast . . . correspond to the world empires among which Israel is to be scattered and persecuted (Dan. 7) during the time that she is in Dispersion until she will be regathered by her covenant-keeping LORD (Eze. 37:1-28; Mtt. 24:31; Rom. 11:26).²²

the dragon gave him his power
Paul told the church at Thessalonica that the coming of the Beast would be according to the working (ἐνέργειαν [energeian] ) of Satan (2Th. 2:9). The Beast will be energized by Satan, which speaks of empowerment by a supernatural being.²³ “In him shall dwell all the fulness of the Devil bodily.”²⁴

He will be Satan’s parody of the God-Man. He will be an incarnation of the Devil. The world today is talking of and looking for the Super-man. This is exactly what the Antichrist will be. He will be the Serpent’s masterpiece. . . . he will be the culmination and consummation of satanic craft and power. All the evil, malignity, cunning, and power of the Serpent will be embodied in this terrible monster.²⁵

We must not underestimate the connection between the dragon and the Beast. The relationship between the Beast and the dragon must be intimate, for the Beast is allowed to be the recipient of all worship (2Th. 2:4). This may indicate that worship toward the Beast finds its ultimate destination in the dragon by way of possession. See commentary on Revelation 13:4.

his throne and great authority
The Beast obtains his throne and authority from the dragon. During the temptation, the dragon showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” and explained, “All this authority I will give You . . . for this has been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6). Evidently, the Beast accepts an offer similar to that which Jesus refused. “Will not Antichrist“s kingdom be the very one which Satan offered in vain to Christ? namely, ’all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” (Mtt. 4:8).”²⁶ Although Scripture does not say, we can infer that the Beast, probably in some private fashion, ultimately gives his worship to the dragon. The only alternative would be that Satan so completely indwells the Beast that the result is their near unity.

The close association of the Beast with the dragon and Babylon is seen in a passage from Isaiah which begins as a proverb against the king of Babylon, but contains elements which go far beyond any mortal man to identify the power behind the king—Satan:

Take up this proverb against the king of Babylon . . . How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?’ (Isa. 14:4, 12-16)

The shaking of the earth and kingdoms refers to the activities of the ultimate king of Babylon, the Beast and his close unity and empowerment with Satan, the dragon. The fifth bowl of God’s wrath is poured out “on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom” (Rev. 16:10 +).

3.13.3 - Revelation 13:3

one of his heads
The head which is wounded is the seventh head:

Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. “And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” (Rev. 17:10-11 +)²⁷

The person of the Beast is the king of the seventh empire (the restored Roman empire equated with Daniel’s fourth beast). When he is personally killed, as head of the seventh empire, the empire also meets its demise. Some have taken the wounding of his head and his subsequent revival as describing the original Rome which disintegrated later to be revived.²⁸ This view does not fit the scenario because this individual did not rule at the time of John (the initial phase of Rome). Taking the wound and revival as pertaining to the disintegration of Rome after John’s day and its subsequent revival at the time of the end—separated by at least 1900 years—would hardly cause the wonderment of the world which is described here which is fundamental to the ultimate worship of this individual (Rev. 13:4 +). It would seem that the same populace which sees the demise of his head must also witness his revival.

It is best to identify the restoration to life with an end-time satanically controlled king who will come to the world as a false Christ. This allows for the interchangeability of the head with the whole beast—i.e., the king with his kingdom—as Rev. 13:12 +, 14 + required. It coincides with further details to come in Rev. 17:8 +. It agrees with the final climactic appearance of the beast in history as a person, in concert with the vision’s focus on the future. This means a future sequence that will be a close counterfeiting of Christ’s death and resurrection.²⁹

as if it had been mortally wounded
ὡς ἐσφαγμένην [hōs esphagmenēn] , the identical phrase describes the “Lamb as though it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6 +).³⁰ As if denotes the appearance after having been slain and brought back to life. There is no reason to take this as merely a “wound” here when it describes the “slain” Lamb there.³¹

There are some who struggle with the idea that the beast could truly die because this would require a literal resurrection from the dead. Isn’t this something that only God is capable of? Our very reluctance to consider this possibility provides evidence of the tremendous influence such an event would have upon those who witness such a miracle! Surely, if the False Prophet is able to give breath to the inanimate image of the beast (Rev. 13:15 +), then couldn’t God also allow Satan to exercise the necessary power to raise the dead? Scripture records that saints have raised the dead (1K. 17:21; 2K. 4:34; Acts 9:40; 20:10). If God empowered the saints to do so for His purposes, why couldn’t He do the same in allowing Satan to deceive those who had pleasure in unrighteousness at the end (2Th. 2:11-12)? The terms used for the death and revival of the Beast seem to point unavoidably to a bona fide miracle, although that which it attests to (the deity of the Beast) is false (2Th. 2:9):

[The] view [that the beast is literally resurrected from the dead] has many more advocates down through history than some might realize. . . . It is interesting to realize that even Augustine believed like [Tim] LaHaye on this matter (The City of God, Book XX, Chapter 19). Another ancient one who held views similar . . . is Lactantius (early 300s) (Divine Institutes, Book VII, Chapter 17; Commentary on the Apocalypes, Chapter 13). More recent individuals include: Lewis Sperry Chafer, J. A. Seiss, Charles C. Ryrie, Leon Morris, Walter K. Price, Robert Govett and Robert Thomas.³²

his deadly wound was healed
ἡ πληγὴ τοῦ θανἀτου αὐτοῦ ἐθεραπεύθη [hē plēgē tou thanatou autou etherapeuthē] , the wound of the death of him was healed. Wound is πληγὴ [plēgē] , which often denotes a wound “as the result of a blow,”³³ although it can also denote a figurative blow of misfortune. The same word describes the plagues with which the two witnesses strike the earth (Rev. 11:6 +). Great emphasis is placed upon his death and revival, indicating its importance in the events which transpire at the end. It is the primary motivator for his worship (Rev. 13:12 +, 14 +; 17:11 +). “Man ignores the force of Jesus’ resurrection, but will choose to be fooled by the Beast’s recovery. Why? Jesus demands righteousness; the Beast will indulge sin.”³⁴ See Supernatural Origin?

Zechariah relates the payment of thirty pieces of silver for the value of Messiah at His First Coming when he was betrayed by Judas (Mtt. 26:15; 27:3). The passage then describes a “foolish . . . worthless shepherd” who will specialize in consuming the sheep. He is said to exhibit wounds affecting his arm and right eye:

I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my wages; but if not, never mind!” So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. Then I cut in pieces my second staff Union, to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel. The LORD said to me, “Take again for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs. Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind.” (Zec. 11:12-17) [emphasis added]

If this speaks of Antichrist, perhaps, like the resurrected Christ who retained the identifying marks of His death, so too the revived Beast will retain the marks of wounds which caused his death. They will serve to authenticate his identity as the leader who was previously slain.³⁵

Preterist interpreters believe the death and revival mentioned by John is a veiled reference to the Nero revival myth, but this seems unlikely for it is a pagan notion without factual basis.³⁶ The revival which John records here is real, fantastic, and miraculous because it results in global worship of the Beast. Here again, we encounter deficiencies with the Preterist Interpretation. If Nero is the Beast, then any worship he may have received was prior to his demise by suicide. He never rose from the dead as described here. The worship which is attributed to the Beast results from his prior miraculous restoration. See Revival Myth. See Nero.

3.13.4 - Revelation 13:4

So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast
So is the conjunction καὶ [kai] , often translated by and. It links that which follows with that which preceded. In this case, it indicates that worship of the dragon is in response to the miraculous healing of the Beast. This must not be missed!

It rules out all consideration of Nero as the Beast for people would hardly worship a failed legend. Whatever worship Nero might have received, it came prior to his death by suicide.
It explains the prominence which Scripture gives to the wounding and revival of the Beast. This is the catalyst which brings an outpouring of worship to both the dragon and the Beast. It is the coup de gr�ce of the miraculous signs empowered by the dragon.
It recognizes the typological counterfeit of the Beast as pseudo-Christ. Christ died and rose from the dead only to be rejected by His own. The Beast dies and rises from the dead to acclaim.

It is not clear whether they worship the dragon explicitly and directly. This is most certainly possible, as some people today openly worship Satan. But it is also said that they worship the Beast. The text emphasizes the dragon as the source of authority for the Beast. This may indicate in the same way in which idol worship is understood as being worship of the demons behind the idols (Deu. 32:17; Ps. 106:37; Rev. 9:20 +), so too the worship of the Beast includes that power which is behind him. This seems even more likely because Scripture indicates that the Beast will exalt himself above every god and show himself as God (Dan. 11:36; 2Th. 2:4). Thus, worship directed to the Beast is equivalent with worship of the dragon who empowers him. At the time of the end, Satan will almost achieve one of his most treasured goals: universal worship (Isa. 14:14; Mtt. 4:9; Luke 4:7).

they worshiped the beast
This refers to the worship of an individual, not an empire.³⁷

Some wish to interpret this as a reference to the revival of the Roman Empire, . . . But a revived Roman Empire would not cause man to worship it as God any more than the revival of Poland or Israel did. . . . It is the resurrection of the man Antichrist which creates this worship.³⁸

This is the first phase of the abomination of desolation (Mtt. 24:15) when the man of sin himself sits in the temple of God proclaiming himself as God. His initial declaration as God will take place in the Tribulation Temple.

Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women,³⁹ nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. (Dan. 11:36-37)

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2Th. 2:3-4)

The early church, having no knowledge of preterism, understood Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians as describing an Antichrist yet future:

And again, speaking of Antichrist, [Paul] says, “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped [2Th. 2:4].” He points out here those who are called gods, by such as know not God, that is, idols. For the Father of all is called God, and is so; and Antichrist shall be lifted up, not above Him, but above those which are indeed called gods, but are not.—Irenaeus, Against Heresies, iii.vi.2⁴⁰

The Beast, being empowered and possibly indwelt by Satan, shares the same aspirations as his master. He says in his heart:

I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High (Isa. 13:13-14)

Yet, ultimately he is only a man:

Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities?’ (Isa. 14:15-17)

Worship of the Beast will include worship of his image. See commentary on Revelation 13:15.

Who is like the beast?
The adulation of the world for the Beast is a perversion of acclaim which should go to God:

This cry of the world, ‘Who is like unto the Beast’ is a travesty of the song of Moses. When celebrating Jehovah‘s overthrow of their enemies at the Red Sea, Israel sang, ’Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the Gods! Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders!’ (Ex. 15:11 cf. Ps. 89:8).⁴¹

Who is able to make war with him?
Not only is the power of the Beast evident in his revival, but upon his ascension from the abyss he will make war with the two powerful witnesses of God which have plagued the earth dwellers (Rev. 11:7 +). Their overthrow further propels his ascent to fame and position. He is Satan’s overcomer (see commentary on Revelation 6:2). Yet in the end, he will make one war too many for he will take on the King of kings to his own demise. “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (Rev. 17:14 +a).

His revival from the abyss, the holding pen of demons (Rev. 9:1-2 +), and his ability to sway the world and overcome God’s prophets all point toward his demonic possession, possibly even by Satan himself (Luke 22:3):

The Antichrist will be a man (2Th. 2:4), but at some point in his life, he will be indwelt by a powerful demon from the abyss. This demon-possessed man will be a gifted orator, an intellectual genius, possess great charm and charisma, and have immense leadership power. Added to those natural qualities will be the hellish power of Satan. The result will be a person of superhuman power, vast intelligence, and consummate wickedness.⁴²

3.13.5 - Revelation 13:5

he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies
As we have seen throughout this book, the actions and duration of the agents of evil are subject to God’s sovereign permission (Rev. 13:7 +, 14-15 + cf. Luke 22:31). The great things which he speaks are the “pompous words” which Daniel saw the little horn speak (Dan. 7:8, 11, 20, 25). In his exaltation of himself, Daniel saw him “speak blasphemies against the God of gods” (Dan. 11:36). The great things and blasphemies likely speak of the same thing. “The figure [of speech] is Hendiadys; for the great things are his blasphemies.”⁴³ See #25 - Little Horn.

he was given authority to continue
Continue is ποῖσαι [poisai] : “To be active.”⁴⁴ The MT text has πολεμον ποισαι [polemon poisai] , to make war. See commentary on Revelation 6:2.

forty-two months
This period is equivalent to the “time and times and half a time,” a three and one-half year period during which Daniel saw that the saints would be given into the hand of the little horn (Dan. 7:25). ⁴⁵ See Prophetic Year.

This period begins at the midpoint of the week, when he violates his covenant with many in Israel (Dan. 9:27) and overcomes the two witnesses (Rev. 11:7 +) who had prophesied for 1,260 days (the first half of The 70th Week of Daniel). See Events of the 70th Week of Daniel. This is the time of Jacob’s trouble which shall be “for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished” (Dan. 12:7). During this time, the holy city is being tread underfoot by the Gentiles (Rev. 11:2 +) and the woman, the Jewish remnant at the time of the end, is hidden in her place (Rev. 12:6 +, 14 +). See commentary on Revelation 11:2 and Revelation 12:6.

Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp who himself knew the Apostle John, explains the passage in concert with futurist interpreters:

But when this Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months, and sit in the temple at Jerusalem; and then the Lord will come from heaven in the clouds, in the glory of the Father, sending this man and those who follow him into the lake of fire; but bringing in for the righteous the times of the kingdom, that is, the rest, the hallowed seventh day; and restoring to Abraham the promised inheritance, in which kingdom the Lord declared, that “many coming from the east and from the west should sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”—Irenaeus, Against Heresies, v.xxx [emphasis added]⁴⁶

3.13.6 - Revelation 13:6

he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.
The TR text designates as many as four targets for the blasphemy of the beast: (1) God; (2) His name; (3) His tabernacle; and 4) those who dwell in heaven. The last three could also be taken as an elaboration of the first, blasphemy against God consisting of... Unlike the TR text, in the MT and NU texts the phrase, those who dwell in heaven, is not separated from the rest of the sentence by καὶ [kai] (“and”). Thus, those who dwell in heaven is taken in apposition to His tabernacle. “And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.”

those who dwell in heaven.
Τοὺς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ σκηνοῦντας [Tous en tō ouranō skēnountas] , present tense participle: those presently dwelling in heaven. These are the ones who rejoiced over the casting out of Satan from heaven and the overcoming of Satan by the saints (Rev. 12:11-12 +). This includes an innumerable company of angels (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 5:11 +), the church having been taken in the Rapture (Rev. 5:9 +), “The catching away of so many people of God must needs leave a deep impression behind it. The slain and abused bodies of the Two Witnesses are visibly revived, and taken up into the sky before the eyes of Antichrist’s minions. This was a grand and most convincing evidence against him and all his infamous pretensions, a manifest token of his devilish falsity and approaching doom. And he needs above all to break it down, to cast discredit and dishonour upon it, and to root out the very idea if he can. Hence his particular railing and impatience with reference to this divine tent of the glorified ones, and his virulent blaspheming of those who tabernacle in it. . . How blessed are they who through faith and watchfulness have been accounted worthy to escape his power by being caught up to God ere he is revealed!”⁴⁷ the martyrs under the fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-11 +), those out of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 7:9 +), the two witnesses (Rev. 11:12 +), and others who have died prior to this point (Rev. 12:11 +; 20:4 +), many of which resisted the Beast to attain “victory” (Rev. 15:2 +). The steadfast faith of believers to the point of death enrages the Beast for the threat of persecution and death is the only device available to him to coerce their worship—a worship which is motivated by the burning jealousy of the dragon who empowers him. The horrible experience of those who come out of the Great Tribulation is ultimately tempered by their intimate dwelling with God (Rev. 7:15-17 +). See The Abiding Presence of God.

3.13.7 - Revelation 13:7

It was granted to him
Now the Beast is given permission to overcome the saints. This disturbing reality has been on the prophetic agenda for thousands of years:

I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, . . . He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. (Dan. 7:21, 25)

How could it be that God would grant permission for the Beast to overcome the saints? Here is where our grasp of God’s sovereignty and His glory must be our sure support. As he used Pharaoh in the days of the Exodus, so too he uses the Beast in the time of the end. He has raised up the Beast for His ultimate glory.

But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. (Ex. 9:16-17)

to make war with the saints
The saints at the time of the end are under tremendous persecution. They are killed by the little horn (Dan. 7:21, 25), the Harlot (Rev. 17:6 +), the Beast (Rev. 13:7 +), and even the image of the Beast (Rev. 13:15 +). See #20 - Saints . The saints are martyred during this period because they are unwilling to worship the Beast and his image (Rev. 13:15 +). True believers of our age will not see this war:⁴⁸

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 predicts that the rapture of the church must occur before the appearance of the Antichrist, and in Revelation 13:1-10 + (cf. Rev. 6:2 +; 11:7 +) he will have appeared. This negates the possibility that the church is in view in Revelation 13:7 +, for it will have already been raptured.⁴⁹

and to overcome them
See comments concerning the overcomer of Revelation 6:2.

authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation
This speaks of his global control—something which was never achieved by Rome in the days of Nero:

Daniel 7:23 clearly states that at some point the Fourth Empire devours the whole earth. This is something Rome never did. Some attempt to make the expression mean the “then-known world,” but it cannot be said that Rome even conquered the then-known world. . . . Rome did not even extend as far east as the empire of Alexander the Great. The Greeks went as far as the Indus River in India . . . Rome did not even extend that far. Furthermore, Rome never fully conquered the Parthian Empire, and that, too, was part of the known world. The area of Scotland was also part of the known world that Rome did not conquer. Rome had to build the Hadrian Wall in order to keep the nomads of northing Scotland from overrunning that part of Britain controlled by Rome.⁵⁰

This speaks of the ultimate manifestation of Gentile power of the end as seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Remember that it is Satan who has authority over the kingdoms of the world prior to The Arrival of God’s Kingdom (see commentary on Revelation 13:2). Since Nero’s Rome has long passed and Christ has not yet come, it is evident that this final kingdom of Satan is yet to appear upon the stage of world history.

A totalitarian system of unbelievable scope and power is also predicted. Every new invention of man gives him one more tool by which he can control others and enforce his will upon them. These inventions under the power of an able leader could make him the undisputed tyrant of the earth. Such a rule is foreshadowed by the beast. . . The concentration of evil in one vast system ruled by an antichrist who will be the most powerful potentate the human race has ever produced.⁵¹

3.13.8 - Revelation 13:8

All who dwell on the earth
The ones who not only physically dwell on the earth, but whose affections and complete allegiance are entirely upon the earth (Isa. 26:21; Luke 21:35; Rev. 3:10 +; 6:10 +; 11:10 +; 12:12 +; 13:8 +, 12 +, 14 +; 14:6 +; 17:8 +). They are to be contrasted with those whose citizenship is in heaven (John 15:19; 17:14-16; Php. 3:20; Heb. 11:13; 1Pe. 2:11). These are they whom the martyrs of the fifth seal cried out for God to avenge their deaths upon (Rev. 6:10 +). See Earth Dwellers.

will worship him
This is a defining moment for the earth dwellers, much like the unpardonable sin of Jesus’ day:

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Rev. 14:9-11 +)

Those who choose to worship the beast and take his mark are forever lost. Even though they have not yet died, they are irredeemable. See commentary on Revelation 13:15.

whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb
Whose names have not been written is οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα οὐτοῦ [ou gegraptai to onoma outou] , perfect tense: it has not been written, the name of him. Unlike those who lacked faith in Sardis and would be blotted out of the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5 +), these were never written in the book to begin with. Therefore, their destiny in the Lake of Fire is guaranteed (Rev. 20:15 +) since their names are not written in the Book of Life:

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Rev. 17:8 +) [emphasis added]

Some understand the phrase of the Lamb to denote a different book than the Book of Life mentioned elsewhere (Php. 4:3; Rev. 3:5 +; 20:12 +), but such a view is exegetically precarious. In their view, the Book of Life initially contains the names of all the living. Names are then blotted out as people die having never come to faith. The Book of Life of the Lamb is seen as a separate book which only contains the names of the elect and whose contents are never altered. We believe the two-book view is problematic:

Too much emphasis is placed upon minor differences in phrasing when referring to the same book.
The two books serve the same purpose—differentiating between the redeemed and the unredeemed. So why have two books?
The book which the names of the Beast worshipers have not been written in is referred to as both the Book of Life of the lamb (Rev. 13:8 +) and the Book of Life (Rev. 17:8 +). It is one and the same book.

We believe it is better to understand all references to the Book of Life as denoting a single book which records three categories of people:

The Unsaved - Each person to be born is written in the book. Those who die before coming to faith are blotted out.⁵²
The Saved - Each person to be born is written in the book. Those who come to faith prior to death have their names retained in the book.
Beast Worshipers - The beast worshipers are a unique category of people of the time of the end. They are so hardened against God and destined to reject Him in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary that they are never written in the book (Rev. 13:8 +; 17:8 +). See Earth Dwellers. See Beast Worshipers are Unique.

For a more complete discussion of these issues, see Book of Life.

lamb slain from the foundation of the world
Foundation is καταβολῆς [katabolēs] , a compound word meaning “a throwing or laying down.”⁵³ Christ’s sacrifice was not an afterthought in the mind of God.

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. (1Pe. 1:17-20) [emphasis added]

Even before the perfect creation of Adam and Eve, God knew the end of history. This is evidenced in His provision for their first sin, spilling the innocent blood of animals to cover their nakedness (Gen. 3:21). An enormous number of types throughout the OT predicted the coming of Christ and His sacrifice for the sins of men (see Abraham Offers Isaac and Typology and the Rapture).

The secrets of God, established from the foundation of the world, were gradually revealed through God’s prophets (Ps. 78:2 cf. Mtt. 13:35; Tit. 1:1-3). In what is perhaps the “holy of holies” of the OT—Isaiah 53—God revealed that His lamb would be slain: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth” (Isa. 53:7).⁵⁴

John the Baptist understood the implications of Isaiah’s passage, for when he saw Jesus he remarked: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). See commentary on Revelation 5:6.

3.13.8.1 - From the Foundation of the World

In the sovereignty and omniscience of God, many things were determined and accomplished before or from the foundation of the world:

God existed before the foundation (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 90:2; Isa. 40:21).
Christ existed before the foundation (Isa. 48:16; Mic. 5:2; John 1:1; 17:5, 24).
Christ was loved by the Father before the foundation (John 17:24).
Wisdom was established before the foundation (Pr. 8:23).
Believers were predestined for salvation before the foundation (Eph. 1:4; 2Ti. 1:9).
God promised eternal life before time began (Tit. 1:2).
Christ was foreordained before the foundation (1Pe. 1:20; Rev. 13:8 +).
Unrevealed secrets of God existed from the foundation (Mtt. 13:35).
The kingdom was prepared for the faithful from the foundation (Mtt. 25:34).
The blood of all the prophets was shed from the foundation (Luke 11:50).
The Beast worshipers were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation (Rev. 17:8 +).

3.13.8.2 - A Lamb and a Beast

An intentional contrast is seen between the Lamb and the Beast.

The Lamb versus The Beast
Similarity Lamb Beast
Slain Before history (1Pe. 1:17-20) At the end of history (Rev. 13:3 +)
Arose from the dead Rom. 1:4 Rev. 13:3 +, 14 +; 17:8 +, 11 +

Worshiped Mtt. 2:2; 8:2; 14:33; John 5:23; 20:28 ⁵⁵ 2Th. 2:4; Rev. 13:4 +, 8 +, 12 +, 14:9 +; 16:2 +; 19:20 +; 20:4 +

The Lamb versus The Beast
Similarity	Lamb	Beast
Slain	Before history (1Pe. 1:17-20)	At the end of history (Rev. 13:3 +)
Arose from the dead	Rom. 1:4	Rev. 13:3 +, 14 +; 17:8 +, 11 +
Worshiped	Mtt. 2:2; 8:2; 14:33; John 5:23; 20:28 ⁵⁵	2Th. 2:4; Rev. 13:4 +, 8 +, 12 +, 14:9 +; 16:2 +; 19:20 +; 20:4 +

These similarities are developed further in our discussion of Master Imitator.

3.13.9 - Revelation 13:9

If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
As when Jesus taught, prior to the formation of the church, all people are enjoined to hear (Mtt. 11:15). Unlike Revelation 2 + and 3 +, there is no mention made of the seven churches which are no longer present upon the earth.

A textual clue found in Revelation 13:9 + has led many Bible interpreters to the conclusion that those addressed in Revelation 13:10 + are not the seven churches of Asia Minor but rather, consist of a different group all together. When Christ addressed the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2 +-3 +, He always used the phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches ” (Revelation 2:7 +, 11 +, 17 +, 29 +; 3:6 +, 13 +, 22 +). . . . Conspicuously missing from this phrase [in Rev. 13:9 +] are the words “what the Spirit says to the churches.” [emphasis added]⁵⁶

Those who have an ear, but choose not to hear do so because of pride. This is the major sin of the end and of our own day:

Hear and give ear: Do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken. Give glory to the LORD your God before He causes darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death And makes it dense darkness. (Jer. 13:15-16)

3.13.10 - Revelation 13:10

He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword
In a passage whose context is the time of Jacob’s trouble, God indicates that He will correct Israel. “Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished.” (Jer. 30:11). He promises Israel’s preservation and retribution in kind to those who oppress her: “Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured; and all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall become plunder, and all who prey upon you I will make a prey” (Jer. 30:16). Upon His arrest at the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus stated this principle, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Mtt. 26:52b). The basis for such retribution is God’s law of capital punishment established after the flood: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man” (Gen. 9:5). The Beast, the False Prophet, and the Harlot all persecute the saints and so the Harlot will be ravaged according to God’s will (Rev. 17:16-17 +) and the Beast and the False Prophet will be killed to become the first occupants of the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20 +; 20:10 +).

However, variations in the Greek manuscripts at this phrase indicate that retribution by justice may not be the meaning. The MT text has: εἴ τις ἔχει αἰχμαλωσίαν, ὑπάγεὶ εἴ τις ἐν μαχαίρᾳ, δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀποκτανθῆναι [ei tis echei aichmalōsian, hypagei ei tis en machaira, dei auton apoktanthēnai] , if anyone [is] for captivity, [then] he is going; if anyone [is] for [the] sword, he must be killed. In the MT text, the subject in each case is the believer—not his enemy. This appears to be a simple statement setting forth the trust which the saints must maintain in God’s sovereign appointment of their role in history. If it is a saint’s God-appointed role to serve as a martyr, so be it! A similar theme is found in a passage concerning God’s judgment of Israel:

And it shall be, if they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.” ’ (Jer. 15:2)

Depending upon which text we follow, this passage may describe retribution by God’s sure justice (Rev. 14:9-12 +) or the need to cling to His sovereignty in the midst of affliction (Rom. 8:28). Both are taught by Scripture.

Here is the patience and the faith of the saints
Patience is ὑπομονὴ [hypomonē] , meaning to abide under. It indicates stead-fastness and perseverance while enduring toil and suffering.⁵⁷ It is through faith and patience that the promises of the believer are attained (Heb. 6:12). John was himself a “brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ . . . on the island that is called Patmos” (Rev. 1:9 +). Jesus recognizes the patience exhibited by the churches of Asia (Ephesus, Rev. 2:2 +; Thyatira, Rev. 2:19 +). Patience is a command which the Lord gives believers. Because the faithful church of Philadelphia kept this command, Jesus promised to keep them “from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Rev. 3:10 +). The patience in this verse is directed to those who find themselves in the midst of the Great Tribulation—perhaps the most dangerous time of all history for believers upon the earth.

The patience and the faith is found here: in the realization of God’s sovereignty. Whatever befalls these Tribulation saints, they must rest in the knowledge that it is according to God’s will and that they can never perish.⁵⁸

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Rom. 8:35-37 cf. Ps. 44:22) [emphasis added]

God will avenge His elect once “the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were was completed” (Rev. 6:10-11 +). In the meantime, they were not to love their lives. Instead, they must hold their testimony to the point of martyrdom, knowing their death was but a gateway to a place of intimacy and rest with the Lamb in heaven (Rev. 7:14-17 +). Although many would die, Jesus assured them, “not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls” [emphasis added] (Luke 21:18). These would be required to lose their lives in order to possess their souls, for to keep their lives meant taking the mark and being doomed for eternity. At all costs, they must not “draw back to perdition” (Heb. 10:36)!

Although a remnant of Jews is hidden and protected in a special place in the wilderness (Rev. 12:6 +, 14 +), the vast majority of the people of faith will be within the domain of the Beast, the persecuting little horn (Dan. 7:21, 25). Jesus understood the intensity of this time and the resulting rarity of finding people of faith at the end:

Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:3)

Their patience accomplishes several things: it witnesses of the reality of their faith and the glory of God; it makes them “perfect and complete” (Jas. 1:4); and it allows the cup of God’s wrath toward their persecutors to fill to the brim (Rev. 14:10 +; 16:19 +).

3.13.11 - Revelation 13:11

another beast
Another is ἄλλο [allo] : “Generally another person or thing of the same kind (Acts 4:12), as contrasted with ἕτερος [heteros] (another of a different kind or form) (Gal. 1:6-7).”⁵⁹

The Seven-Headed Beast and the Beast with Lamb's Horns

⁶⁰

Elsewhere, he is differentiated from the first beast, the Antichrist. He is known as the False Prophet (Rev. 19:20 +; 20:10 +). See #18 - False Prophet. Some have taken this beast to describe a system or movement:

The second beast which is described, Rev. 13:11-17 +, as coming out of the earth, and having two horns like unto a lamb, and speaking as a dragon, and exercising all the authority of the first beast in his sight, is referred to the papacy. The false prophet receives a similar application. So Luther, Vitringa, Bengel, Auberlen, Hengstenberg, Ebrard, and many English divines.⁶¹

The commentators are in the most dire confusion on the identification . . . the Roman church, the Greek church, the French Republic, the Jesuits, the Roman theologians, the earthy carnal wisdom, including the heathen philosophies, false doctrines and the like. . . Still others identify the second beast with the heathen priesthood, the principle of inductive philosophy, witchcraft and soothsaying, divination and magic.⁶²

But his attributes are personal, for salvation and damnation are individual, not institutional:⁶³

The second beast is a specific individual rather than a religious institution. . . . it is more likely that the singular phrase “beast” (thērion) or “false prophet” (pseudoprophētēs ) refers to an individual rather than a religious institution. Moreover, because he spends eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20 +; 20:10 +), the false prophet is characterized as possessing an eternal soul. Such an attribute and eternal fate is descriptive of individuals rather than institutions. [emphasis added]⁶⁴

Together with the first Beas